1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns feeding apparatus and more particularly such apparatus for administering oral fluids.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The maintenance of an adequate level of hydration is of fundamental importance to the physical well-being of the human body. Clearly, such maintenance can be problematical for an individual who is ill and because of physical or mental disability, has an impaired ability to drink normally. Under conventional good practice the fluid intake for the majority of patients in this category is individually administered by nursing personnel, while for the remaining minority an alternative intensive care approach involving an intravenous or naso-gastric tube is appropriate. However, the reality of such practice is that the majority demand for individual administration is time consuming and places an undue strain on nursing resources and this can lead, in turn, to the adoption of an alternative intensive approach inappropriately or, perhaps worse still, failure to maintain a fully adequate hydration level.
It has been proposed in Patent Specification GB-A-2181958, that this situation be improved by the provision of a device to facilitate the administration of oral fluid to a patient, such device comprising a nipple, a soft reticulate mouthpiece shaped to be received between the lips and the teeth or gums of the patient to hold the nipple over the patient's tongue, a container for the oral fluid, the container being at a higher level than the patient's head, and a tube leading from the container to the nipple, the latter containing a valve which prevents the fluid from flowing freely out of the nipple but which is operable by the sucking action of the patient so that the oral fluid flows out of the nipple so long as the patient continues to suck.
Also it has subsequently been proposed in Patent Specification GB-A-2202449 to cater for the situation of a patient unable to sustain a sucking action to the extent which is necessary, with use of the prior device, to maintain an adequate liquid intake. This later proposal is for apparatus comprising a nipple, means for holding the nipple in the patient's mouth, a container for the oral fluid, a tube leading from the container to the nipple, and means responsive to the patient sucking on the nipple for metering the quantity of fluid flowing out of the nipple. In a preferred form of this apparatus the metering means comprises a pump and the control means includes a sensor responsive to an initial suction--induced flow in the tube and adapted to switch on the pump for a predetermined period to supply to the nipple a quantity of oral fluid determined by such period.
More recently it has been proposed in Patent Specification GB-A-2220363 to improve this last apparatus, through reduced complexity and/or cost, by the provision of apparatus for administering oral fluid from a reservoir to a patient, which apparatus comprises: a chamber adapted to be held in the patient's mouth, the chamber having a fluid inlet opening and outlet opening, and a resilient wall; a tube connected between the chamber inlet opening and an associated fluid reservoir; and a valve connected in said tube to control fluid flow through the latter, the valve including a hollow housing formed with fluid inlet and outlet ports, and a valve member in said housing, which member is freely movable into and out of engagement with said outlet port respectively to close and open the same.
Continuing development of these proposals has led to yet further improvement by simplification, particularly in respect of the chamber of the last-mentioned apparatus and its adaptation for oral retention.